Heart of a Dragon
by Ootori Tatsu
Summary: Here's all you need to know. Dragon Hearted but Germany's side of the story. Later to be M.


**Dum Duh DUM! And now I bring to you, my loyal readers, and my new ones as well, Ludwig's side of the story for there is always two faces to a coin. **

**Enjoy!~**

**Chapter 1: Wishful Thinking**

A thunderous banging noise sounds off my door and I fall out of my bed in an undignified heap. For a moment I didn't know where I was but that was normal since I seemed to have some type of memory problem. As I pull myself up from the floor my brother, who had been knocking, gets impatient and shoves open my door. I frown at him as I make up my bed and he dumps himself in my chair at my desk.

"So West, guess what today is?" Rolling my eyes I shake my head at the silly nickname he had given me. There was nothing wrong with my normal name.

"Alright, humor me. What is oh so special about today?" I say as I sit on the edge of my freshly made bed.

"Wait for it…" He says, drumming his hands on the back of the chair. "It's… CHOOSING DAY EVERYBODY! We'll get you a flight partner for sure this year! Umbra and I have been scouting around at this year's wild dragons that have flown in and you won't BELIEVE the Grand Wyrm we saw two days ago." Now interested in what my sporadic brother was saying I lean forward.

"Huge. Bigger than Ivan's Tyrannous. Sleek, jet black, glittering gold underbelly. And a fighter to. It beat several other dragons to the ground in no time. Even took down two of the hugest Bull Dragons I've ever seen at the same time." He now had me hooked. "And… it's female." He adds with a devious whisper. Jumping up I shove my brother out the door and reach for my riding attire. This I had to see.

~ An Hour Later ~

As I perched on Fidelity's shoulder blades, wind blowing gently on my face, I wonder if this was such a good idea. The last female Winged Grand Wyrm was six generations ago, which meant all of the other Grand Wyrms were wild born of course. It would be great if there was a female to breed domestic ones which might lead to the revival of their dying species.

But the choosing grounds weren't exactly the safest place to be. Plenty of hopefuls died each year when a dragon decided it didn't approve of what it saw and attacked someone. As we drift closer an old memory flashes before my eyes. A hot afternoon wandering the halls and seeing Romulus' oldest grandson for the first time.

He was leaning on an open window's sill, letting the limp breeze tussle his dark red brown hair. Feint annoyance flickered in his amber eyes as I approached but he didn't look up. A halting feeling brings me back to the present and I look up at the bare rock valley, the place I had met Fidelity two years ago.

Jumping off I run up to a nearby ledge and peer over. The rock walls and pools of water flickered with every color you could imagine. But I was looking for a certain color, black, a color not common in any dragon species. Just as I was getting bored of searching every cluster of dragons I could see a small herd of Ripple Backs charged in a direction, screaming in alarm.

Ripple Back, water type with large sail-like fins rising from the tip of their nose to the edge of their tail. Third largest in the water type, only found in large bodies of salt water with the exception of choosing day, and built for optimum speed in the water. They weren't so fast on land though.

One of them had a deer in its teeth and the others veered away from it. Thunder shook the floor under me and a moment later the largest Grand Wyrm I had ever seen galloped across the bare rock headed straight for the cloud grey Ripple Back. It takes a flying leap, spreading its wings a little for a glide, and slams into the smaller dragon with enough force to knock Fidelity down. When the black dragon moved away the Ripple Back didn't move, red spreading out from its body.

Vicious snarls sound from the Grand Wyrm's throat as it rips the deer to shreds. As it finishes it lifts its head and its eyes lock on me, a deadly crimson contrasting with its onyx scales and gold underside. As I expect it to cook me I hold completely still. When I look back up I see it had gotten closer, crawling up the rock wall to become level with me. Its eyes had turned into a bright emerald color and I stand up cautiously.

I could tell from this distance it was female, like Gilbert had said. As she looks at me Fidelity crawls around behind her and nips her tail. She snaps around instantly and he weaves back, letting out a puff of smoke. Over and over she struck at him but hardly seemed like she was trying to hit him. Dragon's play. Horns sound from a distance and I whistle for Fidelity. Choosing day was starting.

As I jump onto Fidelity I notice the black dragon looking at us wistfully then turn away back into the valley. Fidelity flies me over to the spot where the students of Area 7 were supposed to stand. Since I was first to arrive I wait for the most part alone. I say for the most part because Romulus' two grandchildren were there. As Fidelity lands the younger of the two, a splitting image of his brother but with lighter hair and lighter eyes, ran up.

"Ve!~ Lovino look, a Winged Grand Wyrm rider. Just like grandpa!" Lovino, the elder of the two, snorts in contempt and looks away. The younger pesters me with questions that quickly get on my nerves. Soon the other students arrive and gather around. Like termites streaming out of a damaged mound, dragons started filling the cliffs.

"Just watch potato bastard." Lovino says as he stalks past me and I find myself smiling a little. As soon as I realized it I wipe my face of emotion and the younger of the Vargas twins, Feliciano, waves to me and follows his brother. Fidelity lets out a snort next to me and I shake my head lightly in agreement. The younger Vargas seemed like a handful.

But as I watched them line up with the other hopefuls I catch myself staring at Lovino. He glances back at me and stares for the longest time, probably thinking I was staring at his brother since they were standing so close. Something tugs in my chest as our gazes catch and he whips his head away.

Almost immediately a pink and amethyst Glass dragon walks forward and bops Feliciano lightly, knocking him away from his brother who all of a sudden looked so alone. He had his arms locked behind his back and he stood with his feet several paces apart, an even scowl on his face.

Soon all the students were claimed. All except Lovino that is. He would have been chosen many times except for a large black shape attacking anything that started approaching him. Instead of dead students that day I saw a few dead dragons. Disappointment evident on his face Lovino turns away and avoids my gaze. The other students had taken off about half an hour ago along with most of the other riders who already had dragons.

Romulus walks up to Lovino and gives him a careful smile and rested his hand on his shoulder gently. Not a second later Lovino slaps his hand away with a few angry, hissed words about always being second place. As Lovino stalks off I see Romulus drop his hand slowly, his smile falling into a pained look. As he walks past I hear him whisper one thing. "Just like Ercole."

As I stare at his retreating form Fidelity shoves me from behind. "What?" I ask sharply and he points his head towards the cliffs. Standing proud on the spot Lovino had stood on was the female black dragon from before, eyes a sullen grey color. She appeared to be waiting, just like Lovino had been. Slowly she turns her head towards me and then walks away, silently melting back in with the stones.

That's when a thought flashed through my mind. Weren't the Vargas brothers both seventeen? If so then Lovino needed that dragon before his birthday or I would never see him again. And without knowing why just thinking that made me just a little angry.

~ A Few Months Later ~

Color me surprised but the black Winged Grand Wyrm had stayed. She didn't show up often but she was there. People whispered but most brushed it off that there was a rogue dragon aiming to attack the school. Thinking to myself as I walk down one of the halls I take a bite into an apple. Shouting reaches my ears and I look up to see Remus licking Lovino's face as Romulus laughed.

Romulus looks over at me and waves, large smile on his face. "Good morning Ludwig! How's my top student this morning?" Lovino looks up and glares at me. Perhaps Remus' tongue was hot because Lovino's face was red.

"What do you want fucker?" He asks in a restrained growl. So like him to say that.

"Good morning to you to." As I speak I reach into my pocket and pull out a potato, offering it up to Fidelity. He was crazy about these things even though it gave him bad breath. Lovino rolls his eyes and looks away. He walks away and I turn to watch him as he leaves. After a few steps he turns back around and our eyes lock. Feeling the need to look forward I turn around and walk off with Fidelity stepping beside me.

Romulus waits up for me and falls into step on my open side. "I sincerely hope that boy finds a dragon. And fast. Otherwise he'll turn out just like Ercole, his father. Would you lend your ear to hear the ramblings of an old man?"

"Certainly." I reply, casting one final look over my shoulder.

"Ercole, Lovino's father and also a very bitter person, never got a dragon. Instead he became a woodsman, a craftsman. He died two years ago, attacked by a pack of wolfs. I've had several sons and I'll admit, Ercole was not my favorite, but I still tried to love him. Didn't stop him from hating me though. Lovino's like him in a lot of ways, perhaps that's why I act towards him like I do. I know it's not fair but when he acts and looks like his father, with the same stubborn chin sticking out and his eyes so full of anger, well, it's not easy." He trails into silence, a mask of sadness covering his face.

"Except, I think since he has a brother like Feliciano, that it's only going to make him worse. After all, when people see them together they end up just thinking about Feli. Such a sweet boy." Here he started rambling about the other brother and I stopped listening. Sure, where Lovino was violent and ill tempered Feliciano was passive and adorable. Most people would prefer that but what would that do for you in a fight. Long ago dragons fought battles, wars, and the world could easily come back to that.

It was a noted fact that Lovino was a coward but not a coward like his brother who fled at the first warning signs of trouble. Lovino was stubborn enough to not back down when it came to a fight, he certainly wasn't a coward when it came to that, but he was afraid of little things. Over the years I had accumulated a list of all these things. He was afraid of thunder storms, turtles, potatoes (or perhaps that was just disgust), people who took interest in his brother, people who took interest in him, etc.

But I had seen him stand right in front of a dragon during last year's choosing day and glare it down. "I'm certain if Lovino doesn't find a dragon then nobody will love him. Or love him long enough to help his sour attitude. Well, I must say goodbye. I promised I would help out in a class with the water dragons today." With these words Romulus walks away, Remus trailing slightly behind.

I look up to stare Fidelity in the eye. "So, what did you think of that she demon? I say we practice flight patterns for mating season."

**A/N**

**Since I really have no time to write these I won't.**

**Ciao! ~**


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